Ilkley - Yorkshire - England

Having played Ilkley several times over the years it is always nice to head back there and see how my game and the course has progressed. For me, Ilkley has always lived up to its 'Procul et ingratum' motto but perhaps this is slowly changing. The first holes, running alongside the river are a challenging start, and certainly different to most courses. A plethora of early par 3s certainly doesn't gain points in the course design scoring. The 2 par 5s however are very strong. Once you move away from the river there are some weak holes, No.8 is a quirky dogleg that needs playing a few times to understand it but 9 to 12 are pretty forgettable, merely a way to get from the 8th to the 13th tee. The 13th is probably the strongest of the par 3s, not long, but well bunkered and a fair test of iron play. The 14th is the best hole on the course for me, a beautifully designed dogleg par 4, asking for a well positioned uphill drive, and a solid long 2nd to a green that slopes wickedly from back to front. The closing 4 holes finally bring the views of the Cow and Calf and Ilkley Moor, and give the course a strong finish with tight OOB on 16 and 17 before an 18th spread out and overlooked by the clubhouse.

Despite my earlier comment the pro Andrew was very friendly on our 'beat the pro' challenge on the 15th, hopefully he is a sign that the club is moving forward into the 21st Century.

This was a hugely enjoyable round. Course was in excellent condition on a sunny Sunday morning in September. Very picturesque spot, friendly and welcoming club pro and very good lunch (and beer). Definitely worth seeking out.

A pleasant, well-conditioned parkland layout, the first 7 holes play alongside the River Wharfe, and the rest of the holes are mostly tree lined. The 2nd and 3rd holes are both par 3s which provides a different style of start to what you would normally expect, and indeed there is only one par 4 in the first 6 holes.

The first hole where you turn back for home, the 8th, was a favourite hole, a dog leg right, which goes around trees and has a downhill approach shot. There are some fun par 3s on the back, the downhill 13th and the uphill 15th.

One thing I did notice was a large practice area, that at the moment is basically a glorified field cut down for players to practice. I feel the club could utilise the area and maybe even create a short par 3 course like you see being built at resorts such as Bandon or Pinehurst in America.

It’s a nice spot for a round but there’s not that many interesting holes, and in my opinion players would be better off exploring somewhere like Halifax GC for a fraction of the price.

If you are playing golf in Yorkshire then a visit to Ilkley is a must. Nestled in the beautiful Wharfe Valley with the famous Ilkley Moor as a backdrop, this is an incredibly picturesque courses in the country.

The River Wharfe is an ever-present threat for the first seven holes of this tree-lined course. I love the fact that you leave the clubhouse and walk a couple of hundred yards to the left to tee off in isolation with no prying eyes. and what a start - par 4, followed by a par 3 to an island green and then another par 3 along the same island before teeing off for the 4th back over the river

And the holes where you head away from the river ( i love the 8th dogleg and the 10th ) are equally enjoyable. and the closing stretch is good and its great to finish with a tee shot over the river wharf (although it shouldn't come into play) help round off a very enjoyable round.

It's a bit off the beaten track but make an effort and go play there

Ilkley Golf Club is a beautiful parkland course with moderate slopes. I played in the summer of 2017. The distance is a little less than 6,300 yards which is short for today’s standards. The course is par 69 including five par 3s and one par 5. Still it is challenging thanks to relatively tight tree-lined fairways and many strategically placed bunkers. In addition, the river is well utilized on Hole 1-7, 17 & 18. The surrounding views of Yorkshire’s hilly terrain are nice, too.

The 3rd 204-yard par 3 is nestled in a nice location as the river flanks the green. It is a pity that the river is hardly seen due to the thick trees on both sides. I felt that thoughtful removal of the trees is needed to make the river visible off the tee. The 4th 504-yard par 5 is a slight dogleg to the right with the river along the entire left side. Accuracy is needed on both the tee and second shots as the river comes into play on the left and trees on the right. The green is guarded by two bunkers, and slopes slightly from left to right. The club plans to move the green more toward the left river within a couple of years, which I completely agree with. Again, I hope that the trees between the river and green should be removed, and that the green should be moved toward the river as close as possible. Then the hole will become a true risk/reward hole. I would like to come back to play this hole after the nice renovation a few years later. Nevertheless, it is a great hole.

The 18th 418-yard par 4 is a slight dogleg to the left. The tee shot is over a river with two fairway bunkers on the left and trees on the right. The green is vertically narrow with two bunkers on the left and a bunker on the right.

When you are in Yorkshire, I think that Ilkley is a must-play course together with Alwoodley GC and Ganton GC.

What a great golf course. Reminded me a lot of playing Kings Lynn, but in far better surroundings. The course is a real challenge, yet your ball always easily findable. The opening holes all along the river on a sunny real is quite tranquil. I was based in Yorkshire for 2 years on business, and played all of the courses in the area on twilight green fees. Alwoodly stands out as the best, but Moortown was rather dull. Ilkley was a real pleasure, so if you are organising a 2 or 3 course break up this way, Ilkley should be added without hesitation. Great seeing Monty's name on almost every board in the early eighties too.

Ilkley is an unbelievable little gem hidden away in the valleys below Ilkley Moor. The 1st 7 holes carved along the edge of the river Wharfe are breathtaking but at the same time scary holes to play. It's not often you have a course where the Pars for the 1st 6 holes are Par 4,3,3,5,3,5. This really sets the mood for what is a beautiful little course, short but by no means easy. Small undulating greens, variety of short and long par 4s all very well bunkered with some very tight treelined tee shots. I think the course record of 64 (5 under by Monty just before his prime) shows that it is no pushover. Visually you won't get a better golf course anywhere for views of the River Wharfe and Ilkley Moor which towers above the valley, very similar to Gleneagles in that sense. Take a step back on the 7th green, 8th tee and 16th elevated tee.. The views really are breathtaking backed by a stunning yet strong finishing stretch of holes. Just shows what an amazing little course you can design on such a small piece of land and yet still make it challenging yet really enjoyable. One of the very best in Yorkshire behind the obvious "Big Guns" Alwoodley, Ganton, Moortown etc. A must play and you'll never forget the experience.

Played Ilkley twice in the past month and enjoyed myself both times. It's not a long course - but the fact that Monty's best score is 5 under tells you that it's tougher than the scorecard suggests.First 7 holes feature the River Wharfe on the left side and the views are stunning.Last 5 holes are also pretty great, with a fantastic elevated tee shot on the 16th, requiring a carry of over 200 yards to find the fairway.Definitely worth a play and the sandy soil makes the £28 winter green fee look like fair value.Definitely going to play this course again!Added bonus - extremely friendly pro and members

I have never, without exception visited a more friendly golf club than Ilkley, from the moment we stepped out of the car we were made to feel very welcome indeed not least in the Pro shop by the professional who gave us a wealth of knowledge and tips before our round, even the current Captain saw fit to introduce himself and have a chat. The course is also excellent with some scary moments on the first few holes down the riverside and the very pretty holes of the back nine. A great course for the steady golfer as you don't need to hit monstrously long tee shots as on some of the modern courses. I will definitely be returning to Ilkley at the earliest opportunity.

Wow - played there for the first time in May as a group of 16 and what an experience, it ticks all the boxes for a great Yorkshire course. Stunning views with friendly staff, course in wonderful condition and the best comment we can make is we will be back next year and play the course twice. Slow greens but then it had rained for previous 4 weeks. Recommend it to anyone you will not be disappointed.